Eye Surgeon Sees Bronze Medal at USRowing Masters National Championships

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned Beverly Hills eye surgeon Dr. Brian S. Boxer Wachler, who created the revolutionary Holcomb C3-R® procedure to treat the degenerative eye disease Keratoconus, was awarded the bronze medal in the Men's Heavyweight single scull race (age division C) at the USRowing Masters National Championship, held August 12 in Oklahoma City, Okla. "Dr. Brian," as his patients affectionately call him, finished with a net time of 03:35.99, just 6.6 seconds behind the first-place finisher. A former collegiate and international rower, Dr. Brian represented the CYC (California Yacht Club) at the regatta.

"I'm extremely happy taking bronze at USRowing Masters Nationals," Dr. Brian said after the race. "Outside the walls of my practice, rowing has been a lifelong passion and being able to remain competitive in the sport that I love means a lot to me."  

In addition to the bronze medal, Dr. Brian's trip to Oklahoma also brought him another reward: A recent patient and his family were by the riverside cheering him on. John Allen, a 31-year old from Shawnee, Okla., has Down syndrome and was rapidly going blind due to Keratoconus until his family found Dr. Brian and the Holcomb C3-R® procedure. While John's vision had deteriorated past the point of full restoration, in July 2011 Dr. Brian was able to stop the progression of John's Keratoconus and prevent any further loss of sight. The story attracted the attention of the local news media; The Oklahoman ran a feature story on Dr. Brian and his journey with the Allen family, which can be read here.

"As a young man with Down syndrome, John has had enough challenges without poor vision. I'm just glad I could help," Dr. Brian said in his interview with Ken Raymond of The Oklahoman.

Prior to the procedure, John was extremely sensitive to light and resisted going outside; on race day, he was able to walk unassisted throughout the outdoor venue without incident.

"He's an angel," Diane Allen, John's mother said of Dr. Brian. "For the rest of my life, as long as I live, he'll be in my prayers. I can never thank him enough."

To learn more about modern Keratoconus treatments, please visit www.KeratoconusInserts.com/fix. For full results from the USRowing National Championships, please click here.

About Brian S. Boxer Wachler, M.D.

Dr. Brian S. Boxer Wachler authored the textbook Modern Management of Keratoconus that is used for training eye surgeons around the world.  He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is director of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills, Calif.  For many years, he served as director of the UCLA Laser Refractive Center at the Jules Stein Eye Institute. He is on staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Brian has pioneered Keratoconus surgical techniques and guidelines that have become industry standard. For more information on Keratoconus and the Holcomb C3-R® procedure, please visit www.keratoconusinserts.com/fix or contact LUCID Public Relations. Click here for his complete C.V.

SOURCE Boxer Wachler Vision Institute